Goddess Pomona, Missouri
The Goddess is everywhere, even Kansas City, Mo. That's where a vacationing Pomona Library Director Greg Shapton found her last Thanksgiving. (He sent it to me in March, so while I'm late, I'm not that late.)
"The statue is located in The Country Club Plaza, Kansas City's legendary shopping, dining and entertaining district," Shapton says.
I'd never heard of the place, but according to the Country Club Plaza's website, the plaza was built in 1922 as "America's first shopping center" and contains 14 blocks of shops, artworks and fountains. "Only Rome has more fountains than Kansas City," the website brags. Who knew?
As for the figure in question, "down the street in a quiet courtyard sits an original bronze of Pomona by Italian sculptor Donatello Gabrielli," the center's website continues.
According to the plaque at its base, "From his original model only two figures have ever been made -- this bronze casting and a marble carving that stands in the king's palace, Bangkok, Thailand."
Wow!
Anyone want to visit Thailand and send me a photo?
Shapton, by the way, sees a marble Goddess daily in her display case in the Library. That one is more modestly attired than the one in rollickin' Kansas City.
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A journalist for more than two decades, David Allen has been writing a column for the Daily Bulletin since 1997 and blogging since 2007.He lives in Claremont.
E-mail David here or read columns here.
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The plaza area of Kansas City is one of the nicer areas to visit. I've been there for work and was able to enjoy the shopping and dining offered, in betweeen the occasional tornado that may rip through the area.
If you take your restaurant reviews on the road, KC Masterpiece Barbeque & Grill (makers of the bbq sauce) have a restaurant there you may want to check out. Good stuff!
If you're into fountains, it might be worth a trip. Don't know that I would hop on a plane for the shopping when VG is just around the corner.
Hey David,
I was just enjoying the entry about the Village Expansion when the "tag cloud" to the left caught my eye. First of all, I'm computer-stupid, so I wasn't sure what that was. Then I saw "nude statue" in the list. Hmmmm, I thought. I don't recall anything like that in your blog.
When I clicked on it, it took me here. Trying a little titilation to draw in readers, are you? Don't worry, though. I'm not chastising you for using sex to sell. That would be like the pot calling the kettle black, don't you think?!
[Yes, it would, Ms. "Stud Muffins" recipes-and-beefcake-photos book co-author. I didn't know what the Tag Cloud function was either until recently. Besides adding the obvious tags to a post -- Pomona, Upland, restaurants -- I thought I'd have fun with it and note other elements of these posts, like colonics, nude statuary, Matthew Arnold quotes, etc. We'll see how it works out. -- DA]